A great many microorganisms are pathogenic and are causative agents of disease states in both humans and animals.
Over the years, a great number of antibiotics which are active against pathogenic microorganisms have been developed. However, there is still a need to find agents which are more effective against these pathogenic microorganisms in order to more successfully treat the diseases caused by the microorganisms in humans or animals.
Antibiotic A-51568, belonging to the glycopeptide family of antibiotics, is a gram-positive antimicrobial agent.
Glycopeptide antibiotics already known in the art include, inter alia, vancomycin, McCormick et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,067,099 (Dec. 4, 1962), the structure of vancomycin being reported by Williamson et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103, 6580-6585 (1981); actaplanin (antibiotic A-4696), Hamill et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,952,095 (Apr. 20, 1976), a portion of the structure of actaplanin being reported by Debono, U.S. Pat. No. 4,322,343 (Mar. 30, 1982); ristocetin, British Pat. No. 765,886 (1957), the structure of ristocetin A, one factor of the ristocetin complex, being reported by Kalman et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 102, 897-905 (1980); and avoparcin, Kunstmann et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,338,786 (Aug. 29, 1967), the structure of avoparcin being described by Ellestad et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc. 103, 6522-6524 (1981).